Latrodectus bishopi
Red widow spider | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Theridiidae |
Genus: | Latrodectus |
Species: | L. bishopi
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Binomial name | |
Latrodectus bishopi Kaston, 1938[1]
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Latrodectus bishopi is the scientific name for the red widow spider, which is endemic to the Florida scrub habitat of central and southern Florida, where it lives primarily in sand dunes dominated by sand pine, Pinus clausa – a type of vegetation found only in Florida and coastal Alabama.
Description
The red widow, L. bishopi, has a red-orange cephalothorax, its abdomen is black with yellow rings outlining the rows of red spots and its legs are vermillion red. On its underside, it does not have the familiar hourglass marking and instead usually has one or two small red marks.[2] Females are almost double the size of the male.
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1938 by
Distribution and Ecology
L. bishopi is endemic to central and southern
Toxicity
L. bishopi has been reported to be venomous like the other Latrodectus members,[6] and although no bites by this spider are recorded in the medical literature, a bite has been captured on video and documented by Youtuber MyWildBackyard on April 15, 2023. The bite resulted in a mildly painful throbbing sensation that lasted several hours. Unlike cosmopolitan species such as the black and brown widows, it seldom comes into contact with humans. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the spider's venom has been measured in mice as 2.20 mg/kg (with a confidence interval of 1.29-3.74), and each spider contains about 0.157 mg.[7]
Conservation Status
L. bishopi is a threatened species in the United States.[8]
References
- ^ a b c "Taxon details Latrodectus bishopi Kaston, 1938". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
- ^ Castner, James. "Black Widow Spider". Featured Creatures. University of Florida. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ doi:10.2307/3492683.
- ^ .
- ISSN 0015-4040. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Hollenbeck, Jeff. "Species Latrodectus bishopi - Red Widow". bugguide. Iowa State University. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- .
- ^ Skerl, Kevin. "Spider Conservation in the United States". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2017-12-18.